film

Friday Faves No. 186

favorite finds from the front lines of food

Yup...it's an actual recipe folks! 

Bon Appétit Baby!

Congrats to all the 2017 James Beard Award winners! While we are sad that A Year In Port didn't make it to the win, it was an honor to be nominated.  In case you were wondering The Birth of Saké walked away with the win. (James Beard Foundation)

And just because I think more people should be watching documentaries about wine - here are the two trailers for your viewing enjoyment.

Film is a great way to communicate, it's almost like having a seat at the table...at least it gets the conversation started.  The good people over at Perennial Plate know this and make it their business to bring people together while bringing attention to issues that concern us all. Each short film will showcase a family originally from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America or the Middle East. 

Francisco and Lucia are Guatemalan refugees who came to Colorado in the 80s, through farming with their community and growing certain plants indigenous to Guatemala, they are able to hold on to a piece of their home.

British retailer Co-op has starting to sell only British bacon and has thrown down a real challenge to other UK retailers to do the same.  That means that their almost 5,000 outlets have removed Danish bacon and New Zealand lamb making them the first supermarket chain to sell fresh meat exclusively from the UK. The National Farmers Union is pretty excited about it as one can imagine. (Munchies & Farming UK) 

And here is an article of how San Francisco chefs are navigating the intersection of food and politics. (SF Chronicle)

Sing Along Snacks: Champagne Charlie

It's never too early or too late for a snack, so crank up that volume on your computer.

Champagne, swells & London — a winning combination that's been on our minds as the film A Year in Champagne gets ready for its iTunes UK debut next week.

The song, above, is from the 1944 British film Champagne Charlie which takes us to the 19th century English music hall. 

 

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'A Year in Champagne' — Coming Soon

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First posted January 16, 2015; updated March 6, 2015.

Polished has been working on publicity and promotions with Samuel Goldwyn Films and InCA Productions to launch the new documentary film, A YEAR IN CHAMPAGNE, into the world.  

A YEAR IN CHAMPAGNE was released in select theaters and on iTunes on Friday, March 6th.

"Gorgeous new film...Open a bottle and watch the whole thing this weekend." — Food & Wine

"the movie is as sumptuous as vintage Champagne, and offers a nice insight into the land and the people behind the wines" — Wine Searcher

Great reviews have appeared in Food & Wine magazine, Wine Searcher, and in a host of wine blogs from all over the US and Europe.

Written and directed by David Kennard, A YEAR IN CHAMPAGNE is the follow-up to A YEAR IN BURGUNDY and boasts many revelations about France’s most famous beverage. And just as in A YEAR IN BURGUNDY, legendary wine importer Martine Saunier is our guide as we get a rare glimpse behind the scenes into the real Champagne through six houses — from small independent makers like Champagne Saint-Chamant, where each and every bottle is still turned by hand in the cellars, to the illustrious houses of Gosset and Bollinger, which have been instrumental in shaping the image of Champagne around the world.  

This is the first feature-length film for US audiences exploring and celebrating the world of Champagne — people, culture, terroir, and wine.

Running time: 82 minutes

Not rated

www.ayearinchampagne.com

Friday Faves No. 112

our favorite finds from the front lines of food

We don't need much of an excuse to see a movie about food, but Helen Mirren certainly seals the deal. She's staring in the upcoming feature (trailer above) The Hundred-Foot Journey, about a young Indian chef in the south of France and his neighbor/rival French restaurateur. (Tasting Table)

Poland takes the bite out of Russian apple ban Prominent Poles post tongue-in-cheek photos on social media to endorse campaign against Russian ban on fruit imports (Guardian)

Another item in the category "Food is Politics" — South Korean activists launch 'Choco Pie' balloons Choco Pies – banned as a capitalist symbol by North Korea after being traded at inflated prices – carried in balloons across border  (Guardian)

Chefs Move Beyond New York The phrase "only in New York" may no longer apply for many great culinary experiences. A new awareness and engagement with food in cities across the country has given chefs more options — and the rest of the country better food. "What has changed significantly is the audience that greets chefs elsewhere.” (New York Times)

Finding the difference that a grain makes to whisky: A project to determine the perfect grain of barley for distilling whisky could pave the way for barley ‘vineyards’, viewed in much the same way as the world’s wine regions. "This project will analyse which compounds in barley contribute to desirable flavours in whisky, many of which come from the grain." (Drinks Business)

Agriculture is always at the mercy of the elements, sometimes to the point of complete destruction. After years of horrible storms, Burgundy winemakers trial anti-hail nets (Decanter)

If you can't grow bigger, grow better and smarter. What's a producer to do with global competition when their traditional grounds are hitting their max, Champagne makers are wondering. ''We have to increase the quality and increase the technical gap between Champagne and other regions.''  (Good Food)

Friday Faves No. 102

our favorite finds from the front lines of food

Trendy Kale has been getting around. Meet the newest celebrity offspring (above).  (Modern Farmer)

Romancing the Soybean: Agribusiness Funds 'Farmland' To Counter Hollywood Message  Says Randy Krotz, with the Farmers and Ranchers Alliance: "How do you get to millennials?...How do you get to ... a transparency generation? Let's show them a little more about how their food is raised firsthand." You can view the trailer here.  (NPR)

The EC-funded Diversify Project is trying to get more and different kinds of fished raised in Europe. But how much effort will be put into bringing buyers and tastemakers along? "Cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens make up the vast majority of meat consumed around the world, and every time someone has the bright idea of introducing something like crocodile, ostrich or coypu to the market, the general reaction from taste panels is “Mmmm, nice! It tastes just like chicken or pork or beef....In a few years’ time, will we see taste panels saying “Mmmm, nice! It tastes just like salmon.”? (Seafood Source)

The growing popularity of ancient grains has caused a spelt shortage. (Probably never thought you'd read that phrase.) Spelt flour 'wonder grain' is set for a price a hike as supplies run low (Guardian)

Can seaweed burgers and potato mayo feed a growing world population? It's just seaweed people. Compared to eating bugs, this one should be easy. (Science Nordic)

Friday Faves — notes from the new gastroconomy, No. 58

weekly round-up of our favorite finds from the front lines of food 

 

  • Picking wine and other alcohol off a list is everywhere, but picking a particular breed of beef that way is news. Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland has started to offer a breed book for diners to choose their beef. "While this makes our job a little more complicated because we have to source from farmers from all over Scotland, having a weekly change of breed gives us a chance to be more flexible," said Mr Howie. "There are issues with low breed numbers for the likes of Galloway or Highland cattle so, in some instances, we will wait until the time is right, while larger herds such as Luing or Aberdeen Angus are more readily available."

Friday Faves — notes from the new gastroconomy, No. 48

weekly round-up of our favorite finds from the front lines of food

 

  • The year — now-ish. Humans have overfished the oceans, taking too much and decadently hurling bycatch overboard. Now, the giant sea creatures of the deep are taking matters into their own "hands" — and they want their fish back... The New short film Monster Roll (above) is the most crazy-awesome thing you've seen this week. Seriously.
  • Geek out with a radio segment from On Point on everything you ever wanted to know about lobster (and more), from biology to art, to Greek Mythology.
  • Cooking made us smarter, or so the research indicates. And sitting around eating all that food was probably pretty good for making culture. "So raise a glass of good wine (fermentation being the other calling card of a higher order brain) and praise the cooks. You'd be stupid without them.

Trailer — A Year in Burgundy Documentary

Watch the trailer for the new documentary film, A Year in Burgundy. The film, by InCA Productions and currently in post-production, follows seven winemaking families in Burgundy, France through the course of an entire year in an exploration of culture, climate and creative process.

A Year in Burgundy will have its first, sneak peak viewing at the 26th Annual International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC) in McMinnville, Oregon, July 27 - 29, 2012.

For more, visit the film's web site.

Sing Along Snacks: The Night They Invented Champagne

It's never too early or too late for a snack, so crank up that volume on your computer.

This week's Sing Along Snack is dedicated to our friends from A Year in Burgundy who are off filming in Champagne right now. From the musical Gigi, Leslie Caron sings this version herself as she asks with excitement:

"Is everybody celebrated, full of sin and dissipated?"

"The night they invented champagne, it's plain as it can be, they thought of you and me."

 

 

Sing Along Snacks: Crawfish

It's never too early or too late for a snack, so crank up that volume on your computer.

Happy Mardi Gras! Leave it to New Orleans to make a tiny crustacean sultry. Elvis could sing them right out of the water with this song from the 1958 film King Creole

"Now take Mr. Crawfish in your hand
He's gonna look good in your frying pan
If you fry him crisp or you boil him right
He'll be sweeter than sugar when you take a bite"

 

Sing Along Snacks: Candy Man

It's never too early or too late for a snack, so crank up that volume on your computer.

With all that sticky-sweet Valentine's Day candy now on sale, our snack gets a sugar kick. No one does it better than The Candy Man, Willy Wonka.

"The candyman can cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good"

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